The Worst United States Man-Made Disasters

BP Oil Spill: On April 22, 2010, BP's (British Petroleum) Deepwater Horizon rig exploded when an oil well below the water's surface blew out. Eleven people died in the blast. Oil began spilling into the Gulf of Mexico. For the next 87 days, 205.8 million gallons of oil leaked into the Gulf, making it the largest accidental oil spill in the world, and the largest in U.S. history. As much as 60,000 barrels of oil per day spilled into the water, threatening wildlife along the Louisiana Coast. By early June, oil had also reached Florida, Alabama, and Mississippi. Miles along the U.S. coastal wetland were coated with oil from the spill. Vast plumes of oil from the spill ran through the sea. The long-term effects of the plumes and the chemicals used to disperse them are unknown.; Photo source: AP Photo/Patrick Semansky